Glossary » demand characteristics

demand characteristics

a potential problem in user studies where people being studied have a tendency to behave in a way that reacts to what they think is expected of them. In user testing, for instance, people may tend to say an interface is good or bad if they hear the tester suggest that it is good or bad. People may tend to try harder during user testing than they would in natural situations because they believe they are expected to be able to complete tasks.